High School Students Will Participate In The Following EOC Assessments Under STAAR:

Math

English

Science

Social Studies

Algebra I

English I

Biology

U.S. History

English II

Students that entered Grade 9 for the first time in 2011-12 and subsequent years, will take the End of Course (EOC) exams in the Spring. Each year students will have opportunities to take the EOC tests, with multiple retest opportunities.

What to expect on the test:

English/Language Arts:

The English I and II End-of-course (EOC) assessments encompass both reading and writing. This EOC is administered in one day and has a five-hour limit.

English I students are asked to write an expository composition.

English II students are asked to write a persuasive composition.

Mathematics:

Underlying processes and mathematical tools will be incorporated into at least 75% of the test questions from the content reporting categories and will be reported along with the content standards.

Questions are cognitively complex

Questions have multiple steps

The assessment includes questions that are asked in a reverse manner (e.g., “NOT” questions).

The assessment includes questions where the answer could be “Not here”, “None of the above”, or “All of the above.”

Biology EOC

It is a cumulative exam that includes knowledge and skills from all areas of Biology.

It is a cumulative exam that includes knowledge and skills from all areas of US History.

The assessment requires students to process information and arrive at a conclusion.

The assessment requires students to read and analyze primary and secondary sources such as visuals, maps and excerpts.

Testing Timeline:

1st Testing Administration

Opportunity

2nd Opportunity (July)

3rd Opportunity (December)

Spring

Summer

Fall

Impact on Graduation:

Under current guidelines of House Bill 3 (HB 3), of the 82nd Texas Legislature, the 9th grade class starting in 2011-2012, students will take up to 5 EOC assessments listed above based on their participation in courses. Each student must meet a Satisfactory Academic Performance (Level II) on each EOC assessment they take in order to graduate.

TEA established a four (4) hour time limit for both STAAR grades 3-8 assessments and STAAR EOC assessments in Algebra 1, Biology and US History. There is a (5) hour time limit for STAAR EOC English I & English II assessments. TEA notes that a four/five hour time limit should provide sufficient time for the majority of students to complete the tests. The rationale for time limits aligns Texas testing practices with other timed state and national assessments, i.e. SAT, ACT and AP examinations. Extended time accommodations for students with unique learning needs will continue to be offered.

Student Performance:

Once students have taken a STAAR assessment they will receive a score indicating their performance. Students’ performance will fall in to one of the three categories below:

·Level III: Advanced Academic Performance (Commended)

·Level II: Satisfactory Academic Performance

·Level I: Unsatisfactory Academic Performance

High school students may continue to take the exams until they meet the passing standards.

Summer STAAR EOC Retest Opportunities:

Students who have already qualified to take an End-of-Course STAAR test may retest each summer if they did not meet the Level II Satisfactory Academic Performance level. STAAR retests are being offered on each campus. You can view the complete testing schedule for STAAR EOC and TAKS by clicking the Test Schedules link on the right side of the webpage. Contact your school to sign up for July retest opportunities.

EOC Results:

·If students take their first STAAR EOC assessment in 2012, 2013, or 2014, they will be held to the Phase-in I of Level II Satisfactory performance standards for every assessment in that content area (math, science, social studies, or English).

·House Bill 5 changed the English I reading and writing tests and English II reading and writing tests into one test for each course. Therefore, the state will provide some flexibility to the students in the 2015 and 2016 graduating classes to determine whether students taking these assessments have met their English I and English II graduation requirements.